Apparatus for cleaning railroad cars



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APPARATUS FDH CLEANING 'RAILROAD CARS Filed Aug. 19, 1927 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 59' al r9 f: .2|

ma@ BY i E I ATTORNEY.

Sept. l5, 1931. w. B. wHrrsl-rT APPARATUS FOR CLEANING RAILROAD CARS 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 19. 1927 w Uhr.,

VE TOR.

A TTORNE Y,

Sept. 15, 1931. w. B. wHn-slTT 1,323,222

APPARATUS Fon CLEANING RAILROAD cAns Filed Aug. 19, 1921 6 sheets-sen 4 34 INVENToR.

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Sept 15, 1931. w. a. wHlTsrrT APPARATUS FOR CLEANING RAILROAD CARS Filed Aug. 19, 1927 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Y l l l l l I l I I la s. Hmmm a, M Y

. Y INVENTO I @/Jueum ATTORNEY.

Sept. 15, 1931. w, B. wHlTslTT 1,823,222

AE'PARATUS FOR CLEANING RAILROAD CARS Filed Aug. 19, 1927 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Ily I A j i IYVENTQR.

ATTORNY.

Patented Sept. l5, 193iI f ED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM B. 'WI-IITSITT, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND In order to preserve the eXterior finish the car to be scrubbed, and a car to be of railroad cars, and have the cars present scrubbed is pulled by any suitable means a neat apperance to the traveling public, it through the scrubber and washing machine. is necessary to clean these cars at frequent The reference numeral 14 designates abase intervals. of any suitable construction mounted upon 55 In many instances a comparatively thick the wheels 15 which I designed to run upon film of gum covers the exterior of a car, and tracks 16 of suitable gage laid parallel to it is very difficult, as well as expensive, to the tracks of a railroad system. This base is clean a car in this condition as it requires provided with a tank 17in which a suitable four men working two days to clean a badly Cleaning or scrubbing fiuid is stored. A 60 gummed car which is expensive, not only frame 18 is suitably mounted on the base 14 from the standpoint of the salaries of the and is slidable transversely of said base by men, but also from the loss of the use of the means of the screw 19 operated by a crank car. wheel 20, either manually or by power. This The object of my invention is to provide frame 18 has stirrups 21 in which are jour- 65 an apparatus whereby railroad cars can be nalled suitable rollers which run on the track more thoroughly cleaned, and at less eX- 22. pense than has heretofore been possible. In In moving the machine relative to the car, actual use by the employment of my apparathe power is obtained from the motor 35,

20 tus. heavily gummed cars have been cleaned through gears 36, 37, 37 and 38 on shaft 38', 7o in fourteen minutes with two operators and thence by belt or chain 382, belt 383, to shaft a car more thoroughly cleaned than has here- 384 and to gear 32. If the clutch is in gear tofore been possible. with gear 33, then the power is through shaft In the drawings: 322, thence to pinion 23, gear 24, pinion 25, Figure l is an end elevation of a car cleangear 26, shaft 26', belt or chain 28, shaft 29 75 ing machine embodying my invention. to belt or chain 30.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of my improved Referring more particularly now to Figure machine, 4 it will be seen that if the clutch 3l is en- Figure 3 is a top plan view of Figure 2. gaged with one of the bevel gears 32, 33, the

Figure 4 is a sectional view on the line machine will travel in one direction, and if 80 4-4, Figure 2, looking in the direction of the clutch is engaged with the other bevel the arrow. gear the machine will travel in the other Figure 5 is a rear elevation of the brush direction. The clutch is made toengage rack. with whatever gear is desired by operating Figure 6 is a side elevation of the brush the hand crank wheel 34. 85 rack with the brushes mounted thereon. 35 is a motor of suitable construction Figure 7 is an end elevation of my immounted in the frame 18 on the shaft of proved car washing machine adapted for a which is a pinion 36 which drives the gear stationary mounting on the iiXed base. Wheels 37 and 38 through pinion 37. A

40 In the drawings I have illustrated in Figcrank 39 is operated by the motor 35 through 90 ure 1 a car cleaning machine designed to be the chain of gears, and connected to this propelled longitudinally along the sides of crank is a pitman 40 which is pivotally conthe car to be scrubbed, the car being stationnected at this upper end to a walking beam ary. This machine is intended to be used 4l mounted in a suitable bearing 42. 43 is a primarily in terminals where the number ofcounterbalance weight adjustably secured on 95 cars to be cleaned is small. In Figure 7 I the outer end of the walking beam 41 outhave illustrated a machine of the same genside of the frame 18, as clearly shown in eral construction as the self propelling ma- Figure 1. The brush rack is illustrated in chine in Figure 1, but it is permanently detail in Figures 5 and 6 and comprises parplaced on foundations, one on each side of allel spaced plates 44 which are suitably con- 100 nected by braces 45. The rack is provided with shackles 46 which are adapted to receive the guide rods 47 which are secured to the frame 18 whereby the rack is free toreciprocate on the guide rods 47. A pitman 48 is pivotally connected tothe inner end of the walking beam 41 while its other end is pivotally connected to the bearing 49 secured on the rear face of the brush rack, as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 6 whereby when the pitman 41 is operated the rack, through the pitman 48 is reciprocated and the rack is guided in its reciprocation by means of the guide rods 47.

The plates 44 of the rack are pro-vided with aligned openings or perforations 50 in which rods 51 are slidably mounted, the rods being provided with a nut 52. Secured to the outer end of these rods 51 is a brush 53. 54 is a coil spring around the rods 51, one end of said spring being seated on the plate 56, while its other end is seated on the brush head whereby normally the brushes are maintained in the prositions shown in Figure 6. These brushes are thus resiliently mounted in order that they may adapt themselves to any irregularity presented on the surface with which they come in contact thereby insuring an intimate contact with and a thorough cleaning of the surface of the car.

The tank 17 is connected by suitable piping toa pump 55 operated by belt 56 from the motor 35. A pipe 57 leads from the discharge end of the pump to a nozzle, or opening, 58 which is supported at the top of the frame 18 on a bracket 59 in such position (see Figure 1) that the iiuid from the pumpwill be delivered to the brushes on the side of the car.

The pressure of the brushes 53 against the sides of the car can be varied by operating the hand crank wheel 20. By turning this wheel the screw 19 causes the frame 18 to be moved in and out in relation to the side of the car and the base structure 14, and this relation of the brushes to the car can be varied when the machine is in operation.

rIhe solution used in scrubbing the cars is pumped from the tank 17 through the rotary pump 55 to the spray 58 and thence to the brushes and side of the car, the surface fluid or solution dripping from the side face of the car and the brushes to the trough 60, from whence it flows through a suitable pipe to the tank 17 and may be used over again.

In the stationary machine illustrated in Figure 7 the surplus solution dripping from the brushes and the side of the car flows into the trough 60 from whence it flows to the stationary tank placed adjacent to the` foundation of the machine.

The general details ofthe stationary machine shown in Figure 7 are the same as those described in connection with the selfpropelling machine and, therefore, need no specific description.

The motor 35 is used for operating the entire machine, the one motor serving power for giving vertical reciprocating motion, operating the rotary pump 55 and driving the propelling gears to propel the machine along the tracks 16.

As the car passes through my improved cleaning machine the gum, grease, etc., is thoroughly cleaned from the car by the application of the solution and the scrubbing action of the brushes 53 against the side of the car. After this is accomplished that part of the car thus cleaned may be suitably washed to remove all traces of the acid or cleaningl agent used in connection with the scrubbing brushes, after which the car is then pulled away ready for service.

I am aware that changes may be made in the details of construction herein shown without departing from the spirit of my invention and the scope of the appended claims.

IVhat I claim is: f

1. In a car cleaning machine, a base, a frame movably mounted on said base, means to move said frame toward and from the surface to be cleaned, a device mounted on said frame to supply fluid to the surface to be cleaned, a walking beam mounted on said frame, means to operate said beam, a reciprocating rack operatively connected to said beam, and brushes on said rack.

2. In a car cleaning machine, a base, a frame carried by the base, means to move said frame transversely of the base to regulate the projection of the frame toward the car to be cleaned, vertically disposed guides on one side of the said frame, a brush rack including parallel spaced bars having sets of aligned perforations, rods slidably mounted in said perforations, a brush mounted on each set of said rods, a coiled spring on each rod one end of which is seated on the brush rack while the other is seated on the head of the brush, shackles secured to said brush rack and slidably mounted on the said vertically disposed guides, means to deliver liquid to said brushes, and a trough positioned below the said brushes to catch the overflow of liquid from said brushes, and means to reciprocate said rack with its brushes.

3. In a car cleaning machine, a frame, means on said frame for supplying a fluid to the surface to be cleaned, a walking beam mounted on said frame, means to operate said beam, a reciprocating rack operatively connected to said beam, and brushes on said rack.

4. In a car cleaning machine, a frame, means on said frame to supply fiuid to the surface to be cleaned, a walking beam mounted on said frame, means to operate said beam, a reciprocating rack operatively connected l to said beam, brushes on said rack, and means connected to said beam for counterbalancing the Weight of the rack and the brushes.

5. In a car cleaning machine, a frame, vertically disposed guides on said frame, a rack mounted to reciprocate vertically on the guides, brushes carried by the rack, a walking beam mounted on the frame, a. pitman rod connecting said beam with the rack, means for actuating said beam for reciprocating the rack and the brushes carried thereby, and means connected With the beam for counterbalancing the Weight of the rack and the brushes.

6. In a car cleaning machine, a frame, a rack reciprocably mounted on the frame, a plurality of superimposed brushes comprising brush bars provided with brush bristles carried by the rack and extending transversely thereof, and means for reciprocating the rack.

7. In a car cleaning machine, a frame, a rack reciprocably mounted on the frame, a plurality of superimposed brushes comprising brush bars provided with brush bristles carried by the rack and extending` transversely thereof, means for reciprocating the rack, and coacting means for counterbalancing the Weight of the rack and brush bars.

8. In a car cleaning machine, a frame, a rack reciprocably mounted on the frame, a plurality of superimposed brushes comprising brush bars provided With brush bristles carried by the rack and extending transversely thereof, a Walking beam for reciprocating the rack, means for vibrating said beam, and means connected to the beam for counterbalancing the Weight of the rack and brush bars.

9. In a car cleaning machine, a frame, a rack reciprocably mounted on the frame, a plurality of superimposed brushes mounted on the rack and eXtending transversely thereof, a. fluid supply device arranged to discharge fluid down upon said brushes, and a collecting trough arranged below the brushes to collectthe drain Water and conduct the same to a desired point.

l0. In a car cleaning machine, a frame, a rack reciprocably mounted on the frame, a, plurality of superimposed brushes mounted on the rack and extending transversely thereof, a luid receptacle, a fluid supply device arranged to discharge fluid down upon said brushes, and a collecting trough arranged beloW the brushes to collect the drain Water and conduct the same to said receptacle.

l1. In a car cleaning machine, a frame, vertically disposed guides on said frame, a

rack mounted to reciprocate vertically on the guides, brushes carried by the rack, a Wallring beam mounted on the frame and operatively connected to the rack, and means for actuating said beam for reciprocating the rack and the brushes carried thereby.

12. In a car cleaning machine, a frame, vertically disposed guides on said frame, a rack mounted to reciprocate vertically on the guides, brushes carried by the rack, a Walking beam mounted on the frame and operatively connected to the rac-k, means for actuating said beam for reciprocating the rack and the brushes carried thereby, and means connected to the beam for counterbalancing the Weight of the rack and the brushes.

13. In a car cleaning machine, a base, a frame movably mounted on the base, means to move said frame toward and from the surface to be cleaned, a device mounted on said frame to supply fluid to the surface to be cleaned, a Walking beam mounted on said frame, means to operate said beam, a reciprocating rack operatively connected to said beam, brushes mounted on said rack, and means connected to the beam for counterbalancing the rack and the brushes.

14. In a car cleaning machine, a brush rack including parallel spaced bars having each a plurality of pairs of alined perforations, a pair of rods slidably mounted in each pair of perforations in each bar, a brush mounted at each end on a pair of the rods, and a coiled spring on each rod, one end of which bears on the rack While the other end bears against the brush.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

WILLIAM B. VHITSITT. 

